Shocking End: Decades-Old Desegregation Order Overturned! What's Next?

The Trump administration, in concert with Louisiana officials, has successfully ended another decades-old School Desegregation order, marking a continued push to dissolve court mandates deemed antiquated by some. This latest victory comes in DeSoto Parish, where a desegregation order has been in place since 1970.

Shocking End: Decades-Old Desegregation Order Over...

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill didn't mince words, directly thanking former President Donald Trump and former Attorney General Pam Bondi for their assistance in bringing these cases to a close. "DeSoto Parish has its school system back," Murrill stated, highlighting the sentiment that these orders had become an unnecessary burden. She pointed out that there hadn't been any disputes among the involved parties for the last decade, yet the consent decree remained in effect.

The original lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department in 1967, aimed to dismantle DeSoto Parish’s racially segregated school system. The subsequent 1970 court order mandated the district to eliminate segregation and regularly report on its progress. While the order was modified several times over the years, activity surrounding it had dwindled recently, leading officials to argue its continued existence was no longer justified.

In a December 30th court filing, Louisiana and Trump administration officials jointly argued that the order was no longer necessary. "While this case has been pending for over a half-century, there has been no dispute among the parties since 2014," they wrote, suggesting the case had effectively become moot. U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., a George W. Bush appointee, agreed and approved their motion.

The argument from state officials is that these court orders place an undue burden on school districts, requiring judicial approval for everything from building new schools to adjusting attendance boundaries or even implementing policy changes. It's a valid point, in some respects – it can feel like perpetually being under the microscope, even when things are going well. However, civil rights groups understandably view these orders as vital tools to combat the lingering effects of racial discrimination.

It's worth noting that DeSoto Parish had sought various modifications to the court order over the years, including changes to attendance zones in 2014. The district also filed regular status reports detailing the racial composition of its student body and faculty, along with data on student transfers. Their last report was submitted just last October.

This move is part of a broader effort by Louisiana Republicans, who see these decades-old desegregation orders as an infringement on local control. They previously succeeded in dismissing a 1966 order in Plaquemines Parish, a case that had been largely inactive for decades. However, a similar attempt in Concordia Parish met resistance, with a federal judge requiring the district to demonstrate full desegregation before considering dismissal. That case, initially brought by Black families seeking access to all-white schools, is currently under appeal.